The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs announced this week the launch of ELEVATE: Summer, a one-day event featuring artists, public art installations and local performances on Friday, July 22 from 3:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. The event will be held at Broad Street, Southwest, between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Mitchell Street.

Bosco and Speakerfoxxx | Photo credit: Revive the Cool

ELEVATE: Summer will feature performances ranging from local poetry slam groups including Art Amok, Java Monkey, Fountain City (Brave New Voices team) and Just N Thyme to classical Indian dance by Uma Palam Pulendran. Additional performances will include artist and costume designer Ajmal Millar and local Atlanta talent, Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground, an afrobeat, funk, hip hop, soul and New Orleans jazz 9-piece collective who will provide tunes in the afternoon. Speakerfoxxx and Bosco will close out the event in the evening with a performance of their new EP, Girls In The Yard. Priscilla Smith, former Executive Director of Eyedrum Art and Music Gallery, will serve as the emcee.

For the past five years, ELEVATE has been held in downtown Atlanta in October. The theme and curator for October’s ELEVATE program will be announced at ELEVATE: Summer. In addition, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs will announce plans to have year-round ELEVATE programming.